3 Tips on How to Use the Power of Color Psychology in Your Web Design

By Alex Slichniy

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Have you ever wondered why there are so many different colors? Besides the seven colors of the rainbow, there is an entire visible spectrum of different shades and tints. Colors add life and set the vibe in any situation. Studies in the field of color psychology have revealed that colors do in fact influence emotions, thoughts, and behaviours. Aside from personal, subjective favorites, there are certain universal human responses which correspond with specific colors. This fascinating phenomenon can be used to great advantage when designing websites.

When you are aware of the effects certain colors have, you are better able to choose the most effective ones according to the nature and purpose of your business.Here are three top tips for making the most of the power of color psychology in your web design. Make sure to check out Design Advisor's infographic on color psychology and conversion rates below for even more colorful insight.

Explore the different color meanings

Firstly, you’ll need to have a general idea of the meanings conveyed by the most commonly used colors. Here is a simple guide to get you started:

RED: Red is widely perceived as the most ‘emotional’ color on the spectrum, symbolizing love, life, excitement, and boldness. It can also indicate speed or urgency, which is why it is often used for clearance sales.

ORANGE: This bright color gives a sense of confidence, ambition, and enthusiasm, and works very well when used in calls to action.

YELLOW: Joy! Happiness! Sunshine! Yellow signifies competence, energy, and intellect but is also often associated with food, and is thought to induce feelings of hunger.

BLUE: This tranquil color is commonly used by banks and the finance sector as blue is a symbol of trust, security, reliability, and productivity.

GREEN: Green is a soothing and relaxing color reminiscent of nature, growth, and harmony. It is popular in the energy, finance, food, technology, and household sectors.

PURPLE: Purple is a regal color, symbolizing authority, elegance, wealth and power. It is often used in the beauty industry and with anti-ageing products.

BROWN: Brown is the color of the earth and as such it speaks of earthiness, ruggedness durability and toughness.

BLACK: This color is often used for luxury products and brands as black is classically elegant, sophisticated and associated with wealth.

Remember the basics

If your ideas are all over the place and there’s a kaleidoscope of colors whirling through your mind, here are a few baselines to start with:

Know your target audience: Remember who you are aiming to reach. Is your audience primarily male or female, younger or more mature, wealthy or budget conscious?

Stick to a few different colors: Between two and four colors is ideal for your web design. Don’t try and cover the whole rainbow or you might end up with a chaotic effect. Choose the colors that will represent your business and also complement or match your company logo.

Focus on clarity and readability: Don’t let your color scheme detract from the readability of your content. Beware of background colors that are too dark or distracting and make the font difficult to read.

Don’t underestimate the CTA button

If your website doesn’t have a call to action option, you might want to work on getting one ASAP. Research has continually shown that the color of a CTA button has a huge influence on conversion rates. Based on visibility, some popular color choices for CTA buttons are to be red, orange, green and yellow. For example, one case study showed changed after changing their button’s color from blue to red one company saw an increase in clicks of over 50%. It’s important that the CTA button stands out and is clearly visible.

With these tips in mind, see how you can create a powerful, effective and successful web design while using the psychology of color in your favour.

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